A Good Defense
by Weirdlet
Summary: . . . Is a strong offense. A hunter finds two new creatures in a part of Earth rarely touched by warriors; a dozen years later, will a different huntress find them worthy prey? Or is one bluffing?


Europe, high summer, extremely hot, a forest 

A Good Defense

_ _

_Europe, high summer, _extremely_ hot, a forest . . ._

Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh stifled a groan of pain as he woke from the soft darkness the repeated skull-blows had sent him into.He didn't dare open his eyes, knowing if he did, the crazed heat patterns of double vision would send him into further vertigo/nausea.

A youngish warrior to be hunting _huurrrehhhhhra_, he was fifty-nine, around a hundred and eight or thereabouts by this planet's years.But at the moment he was not thinking of his age, status, or much of anything beyond how much everything _hurt._Had a herd of (click)_ur-r-r-r_(click), the huge antlered sacrifice beasts, run him down?Or had he simply gotten on the bad side of a female?Or, ludicrous as it might seem, had the Burning Goddess favored him and lightning-struck him repeatedly to show her acknowledgement?

He breathed, and that quickly killed that last idea.The Burning Goddess's spear and scepter did not leave broken ribs.

The young hunter was lying on his back, having just spent an unknown amount of time unconscious.He could feel his pulse along the injuries that beast of this world had inflicted.One of his eardrums, the pair of small circles beneath the _r-rehh_ that fringed his head, was almost certainly broken.The flesh of his mandibles was bruised from impact against the mask.His ribs were in new configurations, and as he breathed shallowly, he could feel where the lower ones fragmented.Everything pulsed with pain on top of a not-so-dull ache, and without opening his eyes he could tell that without advanced healing like that in the hands of City-Dwellers, he would be lame, half-deaf, and judging by the sluggish warmth spreading below his broken breastbone he wouldn't even be alive.If the big vein there was torn, he was bleeding to death.

Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh raised his head a bit and lay back, making a small noise of distress.He had landed in this planet with an expedition to hunt _huurrrehhhhhra_, the dominant species, and one of the more dangerous because of their intelligence and fierceness.A bit like his species, they walked on two legs and could grasp things, and they had broken the instincts that most species obeyed without question, to hold off violence when another creature submitted.Most hunters waited until at least their seventies, mid-prime, before going after them.

But Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh hadn't even gotten a chance to hunt the _huurrrehhhhhra._He had encountered an animal in this forest, a huge beast that he believed more than qualified as a prey species.It reached beyond his height when it stood on its hind legs, was covered in the thousand of thin bristles on so many beasts in this world wore, called _fur_ by the natives.Its jaws were incredible, and it walked flat-footed like him and _huurrrehhhhhra_, with talons that rivaled his wrist-blades.It had attacked him, and while he believed (he couldn't be sure, the thunder in his head made it hard to remember) he had killed it, it had done him much damage, with those teeth and claws, and the rib-crushing embrace it had lifted him in.

He was going to die.He couldn't heal this sort of damage, or even repair it to a point that he could crawl back to the ship awaiting the warriors after their hunt.He couldn't leave evidence of his life or death for the _huurrrehhhhhra_ to find, which was one reason why armor had the explosive in it.The other was that hunters were so proud, that they would rather kill themselves than allow a member of an intelligent species to kill them.Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh tried to raise his arm to reach for the suicide explosive on the panel of the wrist guard.He hadn't realized that bone was broken as well.The sudden sharp pain sent him back into the darkness again.

He woke again, and looked up to the strange sight that met him.Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh blinked, but his vision had cleared already.The thing before him was real.

A large, quadrupedal beast stood over him, long of leg and face, which nosed him gently.He turned his head away, too weak to do more, and looked at the thing from the corner of his eye.

He had asked other hunters what sort of beasts he might encounter here.While the beast that had successfully crushed his ribs had not been included in the information he'd found, the beast standing over him resembled a _horse_, or whatever that _huurrrehhhhhra_ word was.The young warrior was too weak to notice any differences between this and the description of a horse.For example, the nineteen hand height at the shoulder, the cloven hooves and dewclaws as well as the lionish tail.And the horn spiraling from its brow.

His breath was ragged and shallow, and he couldn't get his arms to move to activate the explosive.The beast above him looked at him steadily, and nosed him again, so gently that, amazingly, it didn't hurt.

_This must be a very stupid beast,_ he thought.His broken bones ached and the claw-and-tooth rents in his flesh burned, and in his belly it felt inflamed, from the internal bleeding of the big vein.He couldn't concentrate, and he looked into the strange beast's eyes above him._Why_ did it stand and stare so?Did it look for an easy meal of him?

"Go ahead, funny beast," he spoke softly, throat parched.His kind needed water to live, their hides and innards dried without it and in their ships mist had to be spread to keep them healthy.They lived in swamps and fens on the home-world, except for the strange and cowardly City-Dwellers, who had the technology swamp-dwelling hunters traded for.

"Kill me," he spoke to the beast, even though he knew it couldn't understand.He knew it was cowardly and dishonorable and he didn't _care_, he'd suffer the miserable afterlife and ridicule of his dead kin so long as the pain stopped.Better the slight dishonor of being slain helpless than this agony continuing until he starved to death or died fevered from infection.

The beast watched him a moment more, and then brought its head down and touched him with its horn.The darkness crept up again, and Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh, son of Ghrehrrrrrrrrr daughter of Kreehhhh(click)vrurrrrr, slept.

. . .

The strangeling creature touched the alien on the brow with its horn, and watched it sleep.It stepped back delicately, careful not to hurt the beast by touching a broken spot with its cloven hooves.

The unicorn glanced down at the beast.It hurt, and the unicorn was a highly empathic being, as was its kind.That was why they avoided humans, although they would not hesitate to help any one they came upon.Too many minds with too many pains caused the one-horns to grieve themselves to danger, if not death.

The alien needed healing, and the unicorn lowered its head to the big torso.It laid its horn over the thing's chest, its antennae like qualities allowing it to pick up where and what was life threatening.

There, bleeding in the belly, that was what needed immediate tending.The torn vein was right below and behind the fractured breastbone.It bled sluggishly within and without, and its upper belly was a little swollen with the neon green blood collecting under the surface, like a huge bruise.

The unicorn touched the sharp tip of its horn to the flesh and cut, reaching its horn to the surface of the vein and conducted energy to it, sealing the vessel and strengthening it.Withdrawing from the wound, it healed the torn flesh as it went.Continuing, the unicorn healed the alien as best it could, expending much energy trying to get vital bones and wounds knit while leaving the less vital to heal on their own.Finally, it could do no more, and sank exhausted to its knees, neighing shrilly for its herd to come help.

Thoroughly drained but satisfied that it had stopped a little more pain in the universe, it slept while the herd came.

Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh clicked his mandibles behind his mask.It couldn't be.He lived, but it must have been hours since the beast had touched him and he had slept.He had been bleeding to death, and yet he lived!

He tried to get up, and was amazed to find that his ribs were no longer shattered.A good many of them were still broken or cracked, but he could breathe!

The young hunter got to a kneeling position, discovering how much he had healed.It was impossible, absolutely impossible!His ribs were relatively stable, enough to let him move, even with pain, but they solidly supported his lungs and hearts!His arm was broken, but as he had somehow survived, he could fix that.The hideous rents in his flesh were for the most part sealed, close to scarring, and most amazing of all was the healing of the torn vein were his ribs ended.There was still a huge bruise there, definitely a pool of blood trapped there to reabsorb, but it wasn't growing larger.

He pressed his palm to the area, wincing at the tenderness but behind his mask his jaws spread into a grin.He didn't know how this had happened, but he was not about to question such luck.Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh got to his feet unsteadily, highly pleased that the leg armoring had saved him from a wrenched ankle, the least of his worries.

He supported himself on a tree, leaning heavily.Looking around him, he saw a huge, death-cooled lump in the bracken meters away.The creature that had attacked him.But it had waited a while, it could wait a while longer.

The hunter settled on the ground, and reached behind his back with his good arm.He carefully detached the clasps of the medical pack without undoing the connection to his breathing gasses, and laid it on the ground before him.

First he tended the broken arm, forcing the bones into place and retrieving what resembled a metal cylinder from the pack.One-handed, he opened the hollow tube and sealed his arm into it, making certain it held the bones exactly right.He was _not_ about to let a moment's carelessness limit his function for the rest of his days.Next, came cauterization.There were many small cuts and many not-so-small wounds that needed tending, for in the kind of environment he thrived in also thrived infection.He spread the disk with the small flame in it, and found matter for it to transform into an extremely hot substance that could be applied to burn shut wounds.He kept himself from roaring by the thinnest of margins as he applied the gelatinous super-hot matter to his wounds.

Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh finished and got to his feet again, walking toward the fallen animal.His right arm, where his wrist-blades were, was the one broken, so he removed them and started skinning and boning the beast with his left hand, using the other to support.The beast had a huge hide and a heavy fat layer beneath, and he found incredible muscle along the jaws as he cleansed the skull.This beast might not be a known prey-species, but it certainly qualified as one.Perhaps no one had known of them because this area was usually far too cold for hunters, who depended on the surrounding temperature rather than keep a stable one of their own. 

After the rough field cleansing he gave the skull, he admired it, turning it in his hands to see the huge teeth and heavy jaws.In a spur-of-the-moment decision, he decided to take the claws as well as the skull and hide.They were as long as his hand, wicked things that could easily make a dagger.Who knew, perhaps with such trophies and the scars he had gained, he would win himself a season-mate, a female favoring him to sire her young.He really was young to be hunting this world, and younger still to consider courtship, but younger than he had won the right to breed, it all depended on who the females favored.

Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh knew he should hurry, get back to the ship that he might properly cleanse his trophies and have the healer, a City-Dweller from the home world who knew of such things, look at his ribs and eardrum and see if he knew what had partially healed him.But he lingered a moment more, savoring his survival and wondering how it had happened.

His broken eardrum didn't help, but the creature walking behind him was silent as well.Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh turned in order to find his way back to the ship, and nearly dropped the skull and hide he held.That beast that had stood over him and nudged him, that resembled the _horse_ creature described to him by an elder hunter.It stood there, and he could see that it didn't quite match the description of a _horse_, he was sure the elder hunter had mentioned single-toed hooves and no horns.

He stood still.He didn't know if such a beast was aggressive or not, and he wasn't about to lose the luck he'd been blessed with through carelessness.

There were no such things as dominant stallions among unicorns, for there were no such things as stallions, or mares.But this one served about the same purpose, herd-leader and risk-taker for the sake of its charges.It had listened to the report of the herd-member who had found and saved this alien, and now it wished to come and heal it fully, the way the less powerful junior member had not been able to.

It stood in the evening air, and watched the strangeling creature as it froze, bear-skull and hide almost falling from its grip.While it disapproved of sport-hunting, or taking of anything but food from the dead, it knew that creatures must follow their ways, and let the disapproval go.But it could sense the pain the tall two-legged thing was in, despite the poor thing's endurance and ability to ignore it.Ribs were still broken, and its arm, and it must be half-deaf from the lack of response to the unicorn's footsteps.

The unicorn stepped forward very slowly, head held proudly and in as non-threatening a posture as possible.The alien stood still, its breathing kept quiet as it possibly could, and the senior unicorn of the herd changed its direction so that instead of facing it, the unicorn presented its flank to the alien and turned its bright neck to look at it.

"I am Neeeeeeeeeeeeherr, senior of the herd.What do you here, little creature?"

Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh watched as the hoofed and horned quadruped walked toward him and turned its side to him, and barely heard through his functioning ear the high tones it vocalized in.What an utterly _strange_ beast!It showed no fear of him, it neither attacked nor fled, it just regarded him as he would a new piece of unexpected scenery.

He considered backing up, but if the creature ran at him, his still many-fragmented ribs prevented a fast flight.Eventually it would grow bored with him just standing there, and leave.With a _huurrrehhhhhra_, this would have been dishonorable and humiliating, but an unknown beast with unknown aggressions, newly discovered, it was permissible.

The one-horned beast regarded Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh, and turning took a step toward him.

_Perhaps it can't understand,_ thought the herd-senior, Neeeeeeeeeeeeherr._I'll just have to mind-speak to it.Hmmph, silly as a human, can't understand plain speech._

Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh backed away as the creature came forward.It quickened its pace, and he couldn't, and it lunged and touched him with its horn on the side of his head and he _froze-_

_Ah.Much better._

Something along the lines of a squall of surprise rang through Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh's mind as he heard the thoughts of the horned beast that held him paralyzed with its touch.Mind-magic was unclean, called cheating of the lowest sort!

_I beg your pardon!I am not cheating!_

_What do you call it, the-_And Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh realized that his thought was transmitted to the horned beast and clamped down on his mental blistering curse.

_PLEASE!!_ came the strange mind-voice as the creature physically laid back its ears._You are rather receptive, and very good at projecting, for one who seems to call simple talk between minds unholy,_ said the creature – Neeeeeeeeeeeeherr, the name came through the connection, along with tints of other information.Annoyance, a mental version of aching ears, and puzzlement over rejection of a normal, simple thing.Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh was having a difficult time sorting out what went into and out of his head.

_It's simple enough; I am speaking to you.Through direct touch between minds.You pick up my thoughts, and I yours.It's very simple, and natural.If you practice, you can stop sending every memory related to the subject when you transmit.I am most certainly not a demon sired by this Cold God of yours!_

The hunter tried to back away from the strange beast that made use of such an alien power as mind-magic, and found himself still paralyzed.Further fear, more than just the initial surprise and shock at being touched by a forbidden power, now ran its frosted talons down his spine, and he struggled against the mental bonds the one-horn had placed on him.

_Ye gods, it's going to hurt itself,_ thought Neeeeeeeeeeeeherr to itself as the alien frantically tried to move.

_HOLD!_

The command startled the alien into stillness, allowing the unicorn to get a word in.There was obviously no way to keep it still long enough to heal all its pains, but at the very least the herd leader wanted to fix that eardrum.It would be easy prey for any hungry beast without its hearing.

_Be still, I'm going to heal your ear, and then you can go._Before the alien could move, the unicorn had released the paralysis and lunged forward to touch its eardrum with its horn.Backing away quickly, Neeeeeeeeeeeeherr slipped and reared up with a shrill squeal that sounded like a challenge-bugle.As the herd senior came down on all fours again, the alien had fled, taking the bear skull and hide with it.

. . .

The hunt leader looked up from the game of chance he had been engaged in with one of the ship guards.He saw who had just rushed in, that young hunter, Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh son of Ghrehrrrrrrrrr daughter of Kreehhhh(click)vrurrrrr.The hunt leader stood abruptly, and Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh dropped the bundle he was carrying and dropped to his knees with a small cry of pain.

The young hunter kneeled and bared his neck to the leader, breathing harshly through a dry throat.The leader Rrrehrrr(click)rrrrr acknowledged him and asserted dominance by gently gripping his bare throat, and then stood back and told him to get up.

"I-. . . I saw-. . ."

"What?"

"A beast, it nearly killed me, I've never heard of it and it definitely counts-" he tried to breathe, "as prey-"

And then Rrrehrrr(click)rrrrr noticed how the younger male held his arm and the heat of his ribs where the bones were broken.The hunter was bone-dry, dangerous for one probably in shock, and all around looked miserable.

"Tale later, healer now," said the leader forcefully, assisting the younger male upward.The bundle he'd been carrying lay forgotten on the ground, to be retrieved later.Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh was taken to the City Dweller healer, one of the two on the ship; the other was the pilot.

The healer immediately set to work, but after a while, took to muttering, "It's not freezing _possible._"She spoke with the hunt-leader.

"He'll have a tale to tell, leader.His ribs were in _fragments_, he shouldn't have been able to move, but on a lot of it it's little cracks that have been healing for weeks, but you can _tell_ they were huge breaks before.He's been gone five days, this shouldn't be possible.

"The big cuts were half-healed when he cauterized them.The ribs, I already said they were partially healed, but the broken arm is still broken.And then there's the big blood-pool where the belly-vein is.If he was bleeding there, _he shouldn't be alive._"

The news spread through those who were on the ship, the City Dweller technicians, guards, and the hunters dropping off their trophies.The youngest of them had come back thoroughly beaten and healed like he'd been that way for weeks. They muttered amongst themselves, insatiably curious.One of them stumbled over the bundle Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh had dropped, and the hunt leader inspected it.

He held it up, finding it to be a fur of sorts, a thick, heavy pelt that opened up to be _gigantic_.The skull of the beast tumbled out, as well as ten huge talons.One of the returned hunters picked up the skull, handing it to the leader but not before silently admiring it.

"What beast _is_ that?"

The hunt leader had no reply."We'll see when Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh tells us, when he's awake.Until then, leave it be, it's his."

The hide, skull, and claws were left in the trophy room assigned to the youngest hunter.The hunters who might have gone out for another round of pursuit stayed a few hours more, wanting to hear this story.

Eventually the young hunter was allowed to leave the healer.He came out into the trophy room area, walking gingerly because his bound ribs still hurt like the frozen hells.The others wanted to know what had happened, and they questioned him eagerly as he inspected his strange trophies.

"I don't know what this was, I've never heard of or seen it before.But you can see the claws, the teeth," allowing the others to hold them, "it was a huge thing, when it stood up it was the size of a female, wider, and it has an embrace," he gestured to his ribs.

The story continued, of how Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh had encountered the strange creature that none of them had ever seen on this planet before.He got to the part where he had woken up after the fight, and stopped.

"Go on!What happened?!" begged the other hunters.

"You won't believe me.I have no proof, _I_ don't believe it," said Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh.The hunt leader himself ordered him to continue.

"There was a different creature above me.It touched me with the horn it had, and I slept again.When I woke up, I was alive, I couldn't have been, but . . ."

And so it continued.No one could believe such a tale, not even the teller, but the healer could find no other explanation for the partially healed bones and cuts, and especially not the torn vein that should have been fatal.Mysteries disturbed the hunters. 

"You say it used _mind-magic?!_" asked one incredulous warrior.

"It spoke to me that way.It kept repeating that it was normal, not evil.It was so strange!"

"What was it like, this one-horn?Did it look like it might be a challenge?"

"Maybe.It was well-muscled, those hooves and the horn are sharp, and when it left me, it reared up and screamed, tossing its head like it wanted to spear me.I don't think it liked me," he concluded wryly.

"And if it can heal, it can heal itself, maybe?"

"It was shaped like a _horse_, those beasts are supposed to be fast runners.A challenge to keep up with."  
"Maybe."

"Maybe . . ."

"I don't know—I think--"

The hunt leader looked at Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh."What?"

"It kept projecting, through the mind-magic, the creature was just—placid.I don't know if it would have actually gored me if I hadn't left."

"Horns don't grow without a reason," said another.

"And mind-magic is cheating, dishonest.How do you know it was so harmless?"

"It could have easily carried through with the threat.Maybe it was warning you so it wouldn't have to fight you."

"Exactly!"

"ENOUGH!" roared the hunt-leader."You, Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh, have discovered one definite new prey species.It's even more of a challenge because most of the time here it's too cold for a warrior to live.As to the other;" and he looked at all those assembled."Hunters here to pursue _huurrrehhhhhra_ can make up their own minds as to whether this other beast is good prey.If all else fails, it may be edible."

They were satisfied with this ruling.But Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh, to himself, doubted that such a beast would actually defend itself.The ideas, feelings, coming through that strange mind-thing, he just doubted that killing such a beast could be anything other than slaughter, no challenge or honor in it.And in any case he was in no condition to go after even a _rabbit_, or some other small and helpless animal here.

_A dozen years later, Europe, high summer, _extremely_ hot, a forest . . ._

The huntress scanned the area from her perch, high in the trees.Seven years ago, the hunter Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh, son of Ghrehrrrrrrrrr daughter of Kreehhhh(click)vrurrrrr, had hunted here and found two new beasts.Not everyone believed him on the second one, but the first was a beast she definitely wanted to find.She'd seen the claws, skull, and hide of the creature herself, and she wanted a challenge.And if she encountered these enigmatic one-horns that Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh had reported, so much the better.

She'd already gotten three _huurrrehhhhhra_ skulls this expedition, and she wanted to try something different.Once, long ago, hunters had gone after other beasts from this world aside from the dominant species, but they had gradually given that up in favor of the one breed with the most potential of fighting back.And, according to tales, after the big cave cats had died out there wasn't much fun in hunting any other Earth beasts.

Her name was Kreeeerrrh, daughter of (Click)virrr-r-r-r daughter of Errhrehh.She had learned the scent of the creature Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh had discovered, from when she had seen the hide for herself, and so she would every now and then remove her mask and allow air to flow over the back of her throat, where she scented and tasted.But she couldn't do it for too long unless she was required to; the air here was too different, too much of some things and not enough of others, and too long breathing it did strange things to one's brain-functions.

So far, she'd found faint scents that might have been old trails, but now she'd found one that smelled stronger, more recent.Kreeeerrrh followed, finding broken brush and stronger scents along the way.The huntress had come to the ground to track, but as the scent grew stronger she replaced her mask, cloaked, and took to the trees again.

Eventually, she came to a small area, and located what looked like the entrance to a den.With any unknown beast, it was stupid to confront it in its lair; removing her mask to check that the scent was strongest here, Kreeeerrrh settled into the trees to wait.

The bear was full, having just gorged in preparation for the snows that would come later.It was sleepy with the heat of the summer, and walked slowly to its den, but a strange scent caught its nose.

A strange, shimmering thing came before it, and the weird scent was stronger now.The bear snarled, and the shimmering thing sparked and showed itself to be a big, mottled two-legger, which took the initiative and struck at it with its strange claws.

The bear took offense and struck right back.The strange thing launched itself at it, and the pair, of a size with each other, wrestled, smashing vegetation and tearing up the ground as they tried to kill each other.The two-legger struck at the bear with the strange serrated claws on its right paw, and the bear tried to squeeze it to death, not sparing its own talons trying to get a grip on the slippery beast.The bear had faced other two-leggers in its time, though none so big as this, but it remembered something along the lines of two-leggers weren't usually quite so stupid about attacking it. 

They both dripped red and green, but the bear was limping and out of breath, and the strange two-legger wasn't.It struck, and the bear had only one last chance to bite at it before dark closed in.

Kreeeerrrh breathed, and behind her mask grinned, working up to a deep roar that echoed and had little creatures fleeing as their homes shook.

She took the fur, the skull, and the claws, scraping the hide as well as she could so it wouldn't rot before proper curing.The huntress was highly pleased.She was the second to hunt a new and dangerous beast, and it had cost her light gashes and bruising where the wrestling match had dug her armor into her flesh.She could see that her kill's talons might have inflicted deep slashes, and that its teeth would have taken her throat if she'd let it get its head close enough.It was a good victory.

After she had taken her prizes, Kreeeerrrh tended her own injuries, cauterizing the slashes and bites.She then cut some of the muscle from the creature, hungering and remembering the information that on this world most of the fur-bearers and a few other beasts were edible.Most of the time it was looked askance at to eat part of one's prize-kill, but some favored eating their hearts.

The creature's meat was tough, but it eventually gave under the huntress's sharp jaws.She fed greedily and retrieved her trophies.These were too bulky to carry around while hunting other beasts, and the hide would rot if it weren't treated properly soon.She started on the way back to the ship.

Kreeeerrrh was greeted with admiration as she properly cleansed her prizes.The other hunters wanted to know about this creature seen and hunted only twice.She told them of the fight, the amazing strength and temper of the beast, while she applied chemicals to the hide.It would be good stretched over the wall of her home's hall, or as a bed.

After a short period in the ship, Kreeeerrrh restlessly set off again.She had some days yet before the ship returned for the home world, and would see what she could find.Perhaps further _huurrrehhhhhra_ skulls, perhaps she might even find the mysterious one-horn beast that Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh had reported.

She'd found them.The scent had been strange, a sort of sweet, genderless musk with a weird hint of lightning in it.She'd followed, trying to find what mysterious being could have such a scent.

The trees opened up some, in the area the huntress was in.Sunlight, invisible to her, filtered through the leaves and onto the backs of the beautiful creatures below.They were strong, fast beasts, their horns spiraling from their faces.Kreeeerrrh couldn't believe her luck.She would be the first to hunt the one-horns!

A pair of adolescents, she guessed by the smaller size, play-fought, chasing each other around the clearing and fencing with their horns.Even the younger ones were muscular and energetic.The elder ones tolerated the play.

So these were the beasts that had healed Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh.They would be a challenge to hunt, if their speed was anything like the _horse_ they resembled.Kreeeerrrh decided to wait, until one left the herd, to chase and battle with it.

Neeeeeeeeeeeeherr scented something.The herd senior jerked its head up, trying to catch that smell again, remember whatever memory it had nudged.

The alien from a dozen years ago.It smelled like that.Neeeeeeeeeeeeherr kept itself calm.The things it had seen in the mind of that one alien from long ago; although the unicorn knew creatures must follow their ways, the aliens were dangerous, hunting whatever they came up against.The herd senior moved silently over to another elder, giving quiet orders.

Quick as a flash, the herd was rounded up and running, while just-elected-champion Neeeeeeeeeeeeherr stood to face and draw away the hunter.It reared up in the direction the scent came from, challenge-screaming in an act of aggression.

The hunter-alien leapt to the ground, and the unicorn charged, never intending to do harm but to distract while the herd got away.Get it hopelessly lost from the herd's trail and then rejoin if at all possible.If necessary, sacrifice.That was the plan.

Kreeeerrrh leapt from branch to forest floor, facing the huge one-horn that reared and challenged, tossing its head as if to spear her.It galloped directly at her, teeth bared and horn aimed.The huntress stepped aside, and it missed goring her by a few talon-lengths.

The one-horn turned and charged again, leading the huntress to follow its movements as it turned and charged and turned again.And finally, the one-horn ran with the huntress hot on its heels.

Every few minutes it would turn and try to spear her, always missing by scant lengths, and turning and running again.Kreeeerrrh never got close enough to slash at the beast with her wrist blades, and the chase wore on.

Neeeeeeeeeeeeherr breathed heavily, silver sides foamed.This mock-aggression was tiring, and the alien seemed to show no signs of slowing down.Finally, it seemed far enough.Though the unicorn could have run a few miles further, the hunter would never find the trail of the herd now.The herd senior turned and prepared to sacrifice.

Kreeeerrrh was startled as the one-horn turned in a clearing, and instead of rushing at her as it had before, it halted, and went down on its front leg joints.It extended its long neck, touching horn to ground.

It was kneeling to her.

That was certainly enough to rattle a hunter.

Neeeeeeeeeeeeherr bowed to the hunter, preparing to end its life for the herd.The next-senior Frrrurhurrr would take over, and one of them would start brooding a new foal.Using its own power, the unicorn numbed itself.

The hunter-alien stood, as if uncertain of what to do.It approached one step, and stopped.Neeeeeeeeeeeeherr stayed absolutely still, save for its heaving sides.

Kreeeerrrh stepped forward again.The one-horn seemed to huddle closer to the ground, but otherwise made no motion, no move to defend itself.A nagging suspicion started in the back of the huntress's mind.She stepped closer once more, and then again.No move.The one-horn continued its kneeling, neck extended for an executionary blow.

Kreeeerrrh finally stood directly before the one-horn, its head at her feet.She knelt down, crouching until it could easily have disemboweled her just by raising its head at great speed.The nagging suspicion grew more and more into a revelation, and finally the huntress decided on a risky experiment.

She cupped her taloned hand under the creature's warm chin and raised its head until the horn tip pressed directly against her left heart.No move.Its eyes were wide open, staring at her until lack of moisture forced it to blink.

It made no move to defend itself or injure her, even with this perfect opportunity.It had had every opportunity to slash and gore her on the run.And Kreeeerrrh realized she had been, to use a native expression, outfoxed.

A clicking chuckle escaped her.Clever one-horn, she thought.Far cleverer than a _huurrrehhhhhra_.Send a champion, or a fatted sacrifice, however you saw it, who would pretend to challenge, while the rest got away.So the largely ignored opinions of Vrer-r-r-rhgrahhh were true; the one-horns would not defend themselves if it meant harming any other.

Kreeeerrrh stood and started to walk away, but stopped as she was about to take to the trees.She turned to see the one-horn, still unmoving.

"Hopeless," she growled under her breath.The huntress stalked over to the frozen creature.Crouching down again, she raised its head and looked into its likely frighted eyes.The huntress rose, and raised the one-horn's head by the chin until its body had to follow.When it was on its feet again, Kreeeerrrh looked at it once more, and took to the trees.

When she returned, the others at the ship wondered why she was laughing, the ululating shriek carrying through the forest and echoing off the trees.


End file.
